Car-coupling.



PATENTBD JAN. 30, 1906.

J. RooNEY.

l GAR GOUPLING.

N VE N 70H @may oaney WTNESSES.' n Q.

A TTURNEYS UNITED STATES T OFFIOE.

JAMES ROONEY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

CAR-COUPLING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 30, 1906.

Application filed September 28, 19.05. Serial No. 280,463.

the county and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Oar-Coupling, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in car-couplings, the object being to provide a coupling of simple and novel construction and so arranged as to automatically couple when two coupling-heads are brought together.

I will describe a car-coupling embodying my invention and then point out the novel features in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this speciiication, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the gures.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a carcoupling embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3 S of Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 is a bottom plan.

While but one member of the coupling is shown, it is to be understood that when in use companion heads will be engaged with each other. Each head,however, is provided With a hole to receive a pin for engaging a link of an ordinary link-coupling head.

Referring to the drawings, 5 designates a hollow coupling-head having at its opposite sides chambered offsets 6, the end walls of which are provided with openings 7, through which the stem portions 8 of locking-blocks 9 may freely move. The chambers in the offsets 6 of course communicate with the interior of the coupling-head, and the ends of the locking-blocks pass into the head for engaging with a link, as will be'hereinafter described. The locking-blocks are held yieldingly inward by means of springs 10, which surround the stems 8, engaging at one end with the end walls of. the offsets and at the other end with the locking-blocks. Extended downward through slots 11 in the bottom wall of the coupling-head and connected to the locking-blocks are pins 12. The lower ends of these pins pass into slots formed in an operating hand-Wheel 13, mounted to turn on a lug 14. The pins 12, as clearly shown in Fig. 4, engage with the eccentric or camshaped walls 15 of the slots in said wheel. Therefore when the wheel is turned in one direction the said walls will operate upon the pins l2 to force the locking-blocks outward and out of engagement with the coupling-link.

The coupling-link preferably consists of two pivotally-connected sections 16 17 ,which are held in alinement for coupling purposes by means of plate-springs 18, secured to one section and bearing loosely on the other section. By this arrangement the link is permitted to Yliex While turning curves. The

link has heads 19 at its ends, the extreme ends of the heads being rounded, so as to engage with the downwardly-inclined inner ends of the locking-blocks. Thus when a link enters a head it will force` the blocks outward; but the blocks will be forced inward when the shoulder portions 20 pass the inner sides of the blocks. Thus the connection is made automatic.

The coupling-link is made tubular for the passage of steam, air, or the like, and the in- 'ner ends of the links are designed to engage with tubes 21, longitudinally movable in the coupling-head, and designed to engage with train-pipes through branches 22, extended 'outward from opposite. sides of the tube 2l, through slots 23, formed in the walls of the coupling-head, and a spring 24 surrounds an extension 21a from said tube within a chamber 25 in the head, one end of said s ring engaging with the end wall of the chamber and the other end engaging with the pin 22.

It will be noticed that the ends of the link are countersunk, as indicated at 26, and the ends of the tube 21v for engaging therein are correspondingly shaped, thus practically forming ballandsocket joints to` prevent leakage of steam or air.

The device may also serve as a coupling for an electric circuit. For this purpose the coupling-links are provided with insulated contact-plates 27, engaging with metal pins 2S, arranged in the blocks 9, but insulated therefrom; The leadwires 29 30 pass through the two sections of the couplinglinks and span the joint, as shown in Fig. l

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1; A car-coupling head. having opposite chainbered offsets, spring-pressed lockingblocks movable in said offsets electric circuitclosing devices carried by the blocks, the lower Wall of the head being provided with slots, pins extended from the locking-blocks lOO IOS

lIO

through said slots, and an operating wheel or plate on the lower side of the head, the said wheel or plate having opposite slots, the walls of said slots being eccentric or cam-shaped for engaging with the pins.

2. A car-coupling comprising a hollow head having chambered offsets, the outer walls of said offsets being provided with slots, locking-blocks movable in the chambers of the offsets and having stem portions passing through said perforations, springs arranged between the end walls of the chambers and the blocks, the bottom wall of said head being slotted, pins passing Jfrom the blocks through said slots, an operating wheel or plate pivoted on the lower side of the head and having opposite slots provided with inner eccentric walls with which said pins engage, a tubular link for engaging with said blocks7 and a springpressed tube for engaging with said link Jfor connecting the same.

3. A hollow coupling-head, locking-blocks movable therein electric circuit-closing devices carried by the blocks, a tubular link for engaging in said blocks, the end of the link being countersunk, and a springprssed tube in the head having its end corresponding to said countersunk portion thus forming a balland-socket joint.

4. A hollow coupling-head having a chamber in its rear-portion, the opposite side walls having slots leading from said chamber, lat-L erally-movable locking-blocks in said head, a tubular link having a head portion for engaging with said blocks, a tube adapted to engage its end with said tubular link, branch pipes extended outward from said tube into said slots, an extension from the tube and a Aspring arranged in the chamber around the extension one end of said spring engaging with the end wall of the chamber, while the other end engages the said branch pipes.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

Jinuns RooNEY Witnesses:

RICHARD J. SHERIDAN, THOMAS F. MAHER. 

